Hinge construction and lighting fixture using same



A ril 14, 1970 E. HATCH E1- AL 3,506,153

HINGE CONSTRUCTION AND LIGHTING FIXTURE USING SAME Filed Aug. 26, 1968 2Sheets-Shet 1 FIG-I INVENTORS DAVID E. HATCH GEORGE E SWENCK MMM, @empqrqj THEIR ATTORNEYS April 14, 1970 p. E; HATCH ETI'AL HINGECONSTRUCTION AND LIGHTING FIXTURE USING SAME Filed Aug. 26. 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG INVENTORS DAVID E. HATCH GEORGE F. SWENCK THEIRATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 22031 20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A two-part hinge construction comprising a stationary memberand a pivotally mounted movable member wherein the stationary member hasan upwardly open channel provided therein which is adapted to receivethe lower end portion of the movable member therewithin and such lowerend portion has an integral hook defining its terminal end. The movablemember is normally supported by the stationary member in an uprightposition and is easily pivoted from its upright position to asubstantially horizontal position where the integral hook engages aportion of the stationary member to hold the assembly in such horizontalposition. The movable member is readily moved away from the stationarymember by lifting such movable member substantially upwardly and fromwithin the channel in the stationary member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The need exists for a simple hingeconstruction which may be used with panels such as door panels, windowpanels, and the like and which may be easily assembled, disassembled,and maintained. Hinge constructions pro posed heretofore are generallydeficient in that they utilize a comparatively large number of componentparts or utilize component parts which are very complicated whereby thecosts to manufacture, assemble, and maintain present hinge constructionsare excessive.

SUMMARY This invention provides a simple and economical hingeconstruction which is basically defined by only two component parts inthe form of a stationary part and a movable hinged part. The improvedhinge construction of this invention is easily assembled, disassembled,and requires practically no maintenance. Further, this inventionprovides an improved lighting fixture which utilizes such a hingeconstruction.

Other details, uses, and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent as the following description of the exemplary embodimentthereof presented in the accompanying drawings proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings show anexemplary embodiment of this invention, in which FIGURE 1 is aperspective view with parts in section and parts broken awayillustrating an improved lighting fixture which utilizes one exemplaryembodiment of the improved hinge construction of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 andillustrating a hinged panel assembly defining a window panel for thelighting fixture of FIG- URE 1 supported in its normally uprightposition and also showing the hinged assembly by dotted lines as beingsupported in a substantially horizontal position to enable access to theinterior of the lighting fixture;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the lowerleft hand corner of the illustration of 3,506,153 Patented Apr. 14, 1970FIGURE 2 particularly illustrating a lower movable member of the hingedassembly supported in an upright manner within an associated channelprovided in a stationary member of the lighting fixture;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 andillustrating the lower movable member pivoted to a substantiallyhorizontal position and showing an integral hook provided in the movablemember hooked against a portion of the stationary member to hold thelower movable member and its assembly in a substantially horizontalposition;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged view with parts in section and partsbroken away of the front portion of the lighting fixture of FIGURE 1particularly illustrating by solid lines the manner in which the hingedassembly is removed from within the channel provided in the stationarymember by lifting the assembly and hence the lower movable memberupwardly from the dotted line position illustrated to the solid lineposition;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary persepective view with parts broken awayillustrating an elongated strip used to make an exemplary membercomprising the upper portion of a panel assembly and wherein such stripis formed by extrusion through an associated die head;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 6 and particularlyillustrating the manner of extruding an elongated strip which is used tomake the lower movable member of the panel assembly; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 6 particularlyillustrating the manner of extruding an elongated housing which is usedto make a stationary member comprising the exemplary hinge constructionof this invention and such stationary member is in the form of a housingfor the lighting fixture of FIGURE 1.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to FIGURES land 2 of the drawings which illustrate an improved lighting fixture 20which utilizes one exemplary embodiment of the improved hingeconstruction of this invention which is designated generally by thereference numeral 21. The lighting fixture 20 is of the typeparticularly adapted to be used along and across a roadway such as ahighway for automobiles, for example. The lighting fixture 20 may have areflector 22 suitably supported therewithin and a light source such asan electric light 23 may be supported in suspended relation within thelighting fixture 20 and forwardly of the reflector 22. The exemplaryhinge construction 21 comprises the lower left-hand corner, as viewed inFIG- URE 2, of the lighting fixture 20 and as indicated at 25.

The hinge construction 21 comprises an elongated raillike stationarymember 30 which in this example of the invention defines an overallhousing for the lighting fixture 20. In particular, it will be seen thatthe stationary housing member 30 has a roughly U-shaped configurationand has a bight 31 which is arranged substantially vertically and a pairof arms each designated by the reference numeral 32 which may extendsubstantially horizontally and in parallel relation.

The stationary member 30 has an outer leg 33 and an inner leg 34arranged in spaced relation to define an upwardly open channel 35therebetween. The channel 35 is adapted to receive the lower end portionof a movable member comprising a movable assembly which is supported bythe stationary member 30 and such movable assembly will be described inmore detail subsequently.

The inner leg 34 has a downwardly open slot 36 provided therein and aswill be apparent from FIGURES 2-4- of the drawings the slot 36 isarranged above the channel 35 for a purpose which will be apparentherein after. The slot 36 in the inner leg 34 of member 30 of thisexample of the invention is defined by a substantially L-shapedprojection 40 extending substantially downwardly from the top portion ofthe inner leg 34.

The hinge construction 21 also comprises a movable member 41 which has alower end portion provided with an integral hook at its terminal lowerend and such integral hook is designated generally by the referencenumeral 42. The integral book 42 is substantially L-shaped and definedby a pair of adjoining arms 43 and 44. The movable member 41 comprisesthe movable part of the two-part hinge construction 21 with thestationary part being defined by the member 30.

The movable member 41 comprises part of a movable panel means, i.e., amovable panel assembly, which is designated generally by the referencenumeral 45. The panel assembly 45 includes a panel member 46 which isshown in this example as a window panel and may be made of a transparentor translucent material and suitably fastened to the movable member 41.An upper member 50 is also provided and fastened to the top edge portionof the window panel 46 and the upper member 50 is utilized to hold themovable assembly 45 in an upright position during normal use of thelighting fixture and in a manner as will be described in more detailsubsequently.

Each member 41 and 50 has a groove 51 and 52 respectively providedtherein and as will be apparent from FIGURE 4 of the drawings thegrooves 51 and 52 are arranged facing toward each other in the completedas sembly 45. The grooves 51 and 52 receive opposite side portions ofthe window panel 46 therewithin and the window panel 46 may be fastenedwithin the grooves 51 and 52 in any suitable manner as by utilizing asuitable adhesive cement, or the like.

The assembly 45 and the movable member 41 are normally supported by thestationary member in an upright manner upon fastening the member 50 toan upper portion 54 of the housing member 30 which extends downwardlyfrom the upper leg portion 32 of the U-shaped member 30. With the member41 thus supported in an upright manner, the lower end portion of member41 is received substantially vertically within the channel in the member30.

The movable, i.e. pivotable, member 41 is adapted to be pivoted aboutthe outer leg 33 of the member 30 from the solid line position to thedotted line position of FIG URE 2 and such solid and dotted linepositions are also illustrated by solid lines in FIGURES 3 and 4respectively.

In particular, it will be seen that by pivoting the movable member 41from the substantially upright position of FIGURE 3 to the substantiallyhorizontal position of FIGURE 4 the arm 44 of the L-shaped integral hook42 is received within slot 36 and the inside surface of the arm 44engages an associated surface of projection and holds the member 41 andthe entire assembly in a substantially horizontal position.

.As best seen in FIGURE 4 of the drawings the outer leg 33 of member 30has a rounded top edge 56 defining a smooth pivot about which the lowerend portion of the movable member 41 is pivoted. The movable member 41also has an arcuate ledge 60 which is adapted to engage the rounded topedge 56 to support the lower end portion of the movable member 41 in asubstantially upright position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 and to enablefree pivoting of the movable member 41 about the rounded edge 56 in themanner illustrated in FIGURE 4. Thus, it will be appreciated that themovable member 41 and hence the assembly 45 are easily pivoted about thearcuate edge 56 of outer leg 33 in a smooth and unobstructed manner andthe assembly 45 is held in the substantially horizontal positionillustrated at 61 in FIGURE 2 by its own weight upon moving the integralhook 42 within the slot 36 and booking arm portion 44 of the integralhook 42 against the projection 40. With the assembly 45 in thehorizontal position illustrated at 61 easy and unobstructed access isprovided to the interior of the stationary housing member 30. Thus, itis a simple matter to maintain and replace the reflector 22, the light23, the supports 24, etc., as desired, in the course of using thelighting fixture 20.

The assembly 45 is normally fastened in an upright position by aplurality of bolts 63 each extending through an associated opening 64 inthe member 50 and being threadedly received in a threaded opening 65 ina member 70 fixed to the inside surface of the upper portion 54 of thestationary member 30. The member 70 may be in the form of a nut orinternally threaded sleeve which may be suitably fixed to the member 30,as by welding, for example. In some applications of this invention it ismerely necessary to provide suitable openings in the upper portion of astationary member 30 and suitable self-tapping or metal screws may beutilized without the necessity of fastening a separate member in theupper portion in the housing member 30 to further reduce costs of thelighting fixture 20.

The assembly 45 and hence the movable member 41 may be easily removedfrom the stationary member 30 by loosening the bolts 63 whereupon theassembly 45 is free to be moved substantially upwardly from the dottedline position illustrated at 68 in FIGURE 5 to the solid line positionillustrated at 69 in such figure. Thus, it is a simple matter with thisconstruction to easily install the assembly 45 and hence member 41 inposition and to remove the assembly for repair and maintenance thereofsuch as to repair a cracked or broken window panel 46, as required.

The manner of forming and structural arrangement of the stationarymember 30 is also such that it is a simple matter to adjust thetolerances and positions of the legs 33 and 34, the width of the channel35, and the arrangement of the slot 36 so that any desired cooperatingarrangement may be provided between the movable member 41 and thestationary member 40. Where comparatively tight tolerances are requiredbetween cooperating members used in certain applications, it would be asimple matter to tilt the assembly 45 through a slight angle from thevertical and still enable simple removal thereof in an essentiallyunobstructed manner.

The members 50, 41, and 30 may be made in any suitable manner andutilizing any suitable material. However, these members are preferablymade of metal such as metal containing aluminum and preferably byextrusion process and as will now be described.

The member 50 is of utmost simplicity and is made by cutting anelongated strip 72 of stock material to the desired lengths. The strip72 is made by extruding a suitable material through an associated diehead 73 Which has an opening 74 provided therein corresponding to thecross-sectional configuration of the member 50.

The member 41 is also formed from a strip of elongated stock material 75which is extruded through a die head 76 which has an opening 77 providedtherein which corresponds to the cross-sectional configuration of themember 41. Each member 41 is then cut to the desired length from thestrip 75.

As will be apparent from FIGURE 8 of the drawings the housing member 30is also preferably for-med by extrusion process and is defined byextruding an elongated structural member 80 through an associated diehead 81 which has a die opening 82 provided therein which corresponds tothe cross-sectional configuration of the member 30. The member 30 isthen cut the desired length from the elongated member 80.

As previously indicated the lighting fixture 20 is particularly adaptedto be used along roadways. Housing members of comparatively longlengths, such as 24 feet or longer may be used and the members 41 and 50may generally be provided of shorter lengths such as roughly 8-footlengths. This technique enables easier fastening of the housing member30 at only a comparatively small number of supports and the utilizationof comparatively short members 41 and 50 with an associated window panel46 therebetween makes it a simple matter to unfasten only thoseassemblies 45 where a light needs to be replaced, and allowing theunfastened assembly 45 to be moved by its own weight to a horizontalposition. Thus, it will be appreciated that it is not necessary todisassemble the assemblies 45 across the full length of the stationarymember 30 to thereby enable easier upkeep of the fixture 20. Aspreviously indicated, the members 30, 41, and 50 are preferably made byextrusion and may be made of metallic material containing aluminum.

The movable assembly 45 presented in this example of the invention isshown as utilizing a window panel 46 which may be made of a materialsuch as glass or plastic which enables light to easily passtherethrough. However, it will be appreciated that the panel means 46may be made of any suitable material and in the form of a door panel, orthe like, which need not necessarily allow light to pass therethrough.

The stationary housing member 30 comprising the lighting fixture may besupported in position in any suitable manner and may have legs or otherfastening means provided thereon for attaching the housing member 30 inposition. In this example of the invention a substantially identicalpair of flanges each designated by the same reference numeral 85 areprovided for fastening the housing member 30 in position.

The member 30 of this example of the invention com prises substantiallyan entire housing for a lighting fixture, however, member 30 may be asubstantially flat member and comprise only the lower portion of anassociated housing means and such fiat member may have legs similar tolegs 33 and 34 defining its opposite side edges whereupon movablemembers similar to movable member 41 could be supported in position in ahinged manner along opposite sides of such a modified, i.e., flat,version of the stationary member 30. With such a fiat member it wouldthen be a simple matter to provide a panel assembly associating witheach of its opposite side edges as well as a top housing portion andprovisions for suitably mounting reflectors, lights, etc., so as todefine a lighting fixture which provides light from opposite sidesthereof; yet, each side would have the simple and unique hingeconstruction 21 of this invention comprising an integral part of suchfixture.

The hinge construction presented in this example of the invention isshown as being used to define an improved lighting fixture. However, itwill be appreciated that such hinge construction may be utilized forother uses and for other purposes where it is desired to provide a hingeconstruction of simple and economical construction, which is easily andreadily swung open and held attached in position, which utilizes onlytwo essential parts, one easily removable from the other, and whichenables parts of its associated structure to be easily and economicallymaintained.

While a present exemplary embodiment of this invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be recognized that this invention maybe otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge construction comprising, a movable member having a lower endportion provided with an integral hook at its terminal end and astationary member having an outer leg and an inner leg arranged inspaced relation to define an upwardly open channel for receiving saidlower end portion of said movable member therewithin, said inner leghaving a downwardly open slot provided therein which is arranged abovesaid channel, said movable member being normally supported by saidstationary member in an upright manner and with its lower end portionreceived within said channel and being adapted to be pivoted about saidouter leg and held in a substantially horizontal position by its ownweight upon moving said integral hook within said slot and hooking saidintegral hook against said inner leg, and said movable member beingeasily removed from within said channel by lifting said movable memberupwardly.

2. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said movablemember and said stationary member are elongated extruded members eachhaving a substantially uniform cross-sectional configuration throughoutits entire length.

3. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said stationarymember comprises an elongated rail-like housing for a lighting fixtureand said inner and outer legs comprise a side portion of said housingand define the lower edge of an access opening for said housing.

4. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said outer leghas a rounded top edge defining a pivot about which said lower endportion of said movable member is pivoted.

5. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 4 in which said lower endportion comprises an arcuate ledge adapted to engage said rounded topedge to support said lower end portion and enable free unobstructedpivoting of said movable member about said rounded edge.

6. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said integralhook is substantially L-shaped and has an arm which is adapted to bereceived within said slot and hooked against said inner leg.

7. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said outer leghas a rounded top edge defining a pivot about which said lower endportion is pivoted, said lower end portion comprises an arcuate ledgeadapted to engage said rounded top edge to support said lower endportion and enable free pivoting of said movable member about saidrounded edge, and said integral hook is substantially L-shaped and hasan arm which is adapted to be received within said slot and hookedagainst said inner leg.

8. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 7 in which said slot insaid inner leg is defined by a projection extending substantiallydownwardly from the top portion of said inner leg and said arm of saidL-shaped integral hook is adapted to be received in said slot and hookedagainst said projection.

9. A lighting fixture comprising, a movable member having a lower endportion provided with an integral hook at its terminal end, a panelfastened to said movable member for movement therewith and comprising amovable assembly, a stationary member adapted to partially house alight, said stationary member having an outer leg and an inner legarranged in spaced relation to define an upwardly open channel forreceiving said lower end portion of said movable member therewithin,said inner leg having a downwardly open slot provided therein which isarranged above said channel, said movable member and its panel beingnormally supported by said stationary member in an upright manner withsaid lower end portion of said movable member received within saidchannel and with the upper end portion of said assembly fastened to saidstationary member, said assembly being adapted to be pivoted about saidouter leg and held in a substantially horizontal position by its ownweight upon moving said integral hook within said slot and hooking saidintegral hook against said inner leg to define an access opening forsaid fixture, and said assembly being easily detached from saidstationary member for maintenance and replacement by lifting saidassembly upwardly to move said movable member from within said channel.

10. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 9 in which said movablemember and said stationary member are elongated extruded members eachhaving a substantially uniform cross-sectional configuration throughoutits entire length.

11. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 9 in which said outer leghas a rounded top edge defining a pivot about which said lower endportion of said movable member is pivoted.

12. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 9 in which said integralhook is substantially L-shaped and has an arm which is adapted to behooked against said inner leg.

13. A fighting fixture set forth in claim 9 in which said outer leg hasa rounded top edge defining a pivot about which said lower end portionof said movable member is pivoted, said lower end portion comprises anarcuate ledge adapted to engage said rounded top edge to support saidlower end portion and enable free pivoting of said movable member andhence said assembly about said rounded edge, an said integral hook issubstantially L-shaped and has an arm which is adapted to be receivedwithin said slot and hooked against said inner leg.

14. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 13 in which said slot insaid inner leg is defined by a projection extendin substantiallvdownwardly from the top portion of said inner leg and said. arm of saidL-shaped integral hook is adapted to be received in said slot and hookedagainst said projection.

15. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 14 in which said movablemember and said stationary member are elongated members each having asubstantially uniform cross-sectional configuration throughout itsentire length and said stationary member has a length several timeslonger than the length of said assembly and a plurality of assembliescomprise each lighting fixture and enable more economical upkeep of saidlighting fixture.

16. An elongated member adapted to be used to define housing means for alighting fixture and adapted to support panel means having a lower endportion provided with an integral hook at its terminal end, said memberhaving an outer leg and an inner leg arranged in spaced relation todefine an upwardly open channel for receiving said lower end portion ofsaid panel means there within, said inner leg having a downwardly openslot provided therein which is arranged above said channel and saidpanel means being normally supported by said member in an upright mannerand with the lower end portion of said panel means received within saidchannel and being adapted to be pivoted about said outer leg and held ina substantially horizontal position by its own weight upon moving saidintegral hook within said slot and hooking said integral hook againstsaid inner leg, and said panel means being easily removed from withinsaid channel by lifting said panel means upwardly.

17. A member as set forth in claim 16 in which said outer leg has arounded top edge defining a pivot about which said lower end portion ofsaid panel means is adapted to be pivoted.

18. A member as set forth in claim 17 in which said slot in said innerleg is defined by an integral projection extending substantiallydownwardly from the top portion of said inner leg.

19. A member as set forth in claim 18 in which said member comprises asubstantially U-shaped housing member adapted to be supported with itsbight arranged substantially vertically and said outer and inner legdefine an outer edge portion of a lower one of the roughly parallel armsof the U-shaped housing member.

20. A member as set forth in claim 15 and further comprising fasteningmeans in the upper end portion of said member for fastening the upperend portion of said panel means in position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,302,661 1l/l942 Benson l6l72 X2,533,661 12/1950 Arenberg 2203l X 2,834,056 4/l959 Kutbatzky l6l72 X2,912,568 11/1959 Winkler 22031 X 3,361,289 l/l968 Mattson 220--3lGEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 16172

